Getting to Know You
by SomniumAngel
Summary: Demon Days are over. Time to kick back and relax. Or is it time for hell to break loose in it's many forms and force two opposites together? Put away the barf bag, it's not a romance. CANCELLED
1. Little Things about Her

Title: Getting To Know You

Disclaimer: Gorillaz created by Albarn and Hewlett.

Notes: Due to popular demand, I have decided to continue this story. So, yeah. Um… I rewrote the first chapter. I did some cleaning up: made more meaningful text, delved in a little deeper, and hopefully made it better. Murdoc's dialogue isn't quite as slang… choppy… whatever as it last time was. Noodle's dialogue is the same, just because I think it's cute and fun to write. BTW, I wrote this while listening to GooGoo Dolls… go figure.

**Chapter 1: The Little Things about Her**

Thumping. Just loud, unrelenting thumping.

Since he had managed to down at least four bottles of Jack Daniels earlier that day, Murdoc assumed the horrid noise was a byproduct of his massive hangover.

Silence. A relieved grin.

"Murdoc-san."

Grumble.

"Murdoc-san."

Nudging…no, tiny handed shaking.

"Bugger…"

"Muuuuurdoooooc-saaaaan!"

The shaking turned violent which jerked the drunkard from his buzzy slumber. "Christ… wa'izzit?" Murdoc opened his discolored red and yellow eye to find Noodle crouching only an inch from his face. "Crikey!" He bolted up into a sitting position, the sheets flying and tangling between his legs. Murdoc ran his hands over his face and hair before looking back at Noodle. She still crouched on the grungy floor of his Winnebago, staring innocently at him from behind her violet bangs. "Oi girlie…" he said in his ragged voice, "What d'you wan?"

"I am hungry," she answered. Innocent, as always.

"You telling me," he pointed to the girl, "you came all the way out here, into my Winnebago," he pointed down as a gesture of their location, "and woke me up," he then aimed his false thumb at himself, "to tell me that you want food?" The corner of his lip crept up into a snarl of aggravation.

Noodle folded her arms on the edge of his stained and spring shot mattress and rested her chin on her wrists. "Hai."

One of Murdoc's hands came up to rub his face again. "Bloody…" He was obviously still groggy and was trying to get his senses together. "Wha'bout Russel? Doesn't he usually feed ya?"

"Russel-kun is not here."

"Then get Stu to feed you. I'm sure he's not dense enough to set the kitchen on fire." Murdoc started to lie back down.

"2D-kun is too absent."

"Bloody!" Murdoc's jagged green teeth gritted together. "Where th'hell did they go!"

"Dance. At the club."

He leaned on one elbow. "Why didn' y'go wif 'em?"

"I lack. The old age," she answered with her head still on her arms.

"Tch… geh… crock… Baaah!" Murdoc rolled over, his back to the girl. "Then feed yerself!"

"I cannot. I am lacking the height. Cannot reach cabinets, or top of stove."

Murdoc's eyes shut tightly, trying to block out her excuses. Even though it was silent, he knew she was still there. "You're bloody fourteen years old. You Japanese need t'learn to grow taller, leave the rest'f us alone."

"Please Murdoc-san?"

The man rolled over. She sat there, still staring at him. Her rose colored cheeks glowed in the hazy darkness of his Winnebago, and her lips pouted as she pleaded with him. Oddly enough, Murdoc didn't feel himself becoming enraged. That's what happened whenever 2D pleaded with the man from Stoke. 2D's pleas were usually so weak, sniffling, whiney, and pathetic, and it pissed the hell out of the man. However, Noodle's plea was a little more genuine. After all, she had a good reason; she _really couldn't_ reach the cabinets or the stove. The truth was, he just really really didn't feel like getting up.Murdoc groaned. "All right, all right fine."

"Wai wai!" Noodle leapt up and bounced around the confined area of the bedroom.

In the Kong Studios kitchen, Noodle sat at the table swinging her legs over the edge of the chair. Murdoc stood shirtless at the stove. His mop top was ruffled, the grey hairs standing out under the florescent light. His olive skin almost looked pure green, another affect caused by the bright light hanging overhead. A freshly lit cigarette hung loosely from his lips as he flipped the eggs and pancake together in the same pan.

"You are getting not the ashes in my food, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah." Breakfast food wasn't exactly what they were used to eating for dinner, but the kitchen didn't have much food in it and Murdoc didn't really feel like cooking anything that would require much time and effort. Murdoc offered to order out for pizza, but Noodle boldly protested the idea. The girl didn't really like pizza all that much, but she ate it because that was what Russel always wanted. _"Well then, I guess you learn something new everyday then,"_ Murdoc had said before going to the fridge. When the edges of the pancake started to turn dark brown Murdoc dumped the food onto a paper plate. He grabbed a plastic fork out of the clean side of the sink and then placed them in front of Noodle.

"Here, eat."

"Arigato, Murdoc-san."

Murdoc only replied with a grunt. He then proceeded to sit in the chair perpendicular to hers, bringing with him a beer and a pack of chocolate Hostess cakes. Murdoc watched as Noodle's head bobbed while she ate. It was sort of cute actually, and even though she had probably done it a thousand times before, he had never been aware of it. He noticed that the smile which normally framed her face was slowly withering into a tired frown and she ceased all movement, except for a random poke at the eggs. "Oi," he nodded his head, "What's wrong wif you eh? My cooking not good enough for you? I told you from th'start to feed yerself, so don't be compl-"

"No. No, Murdoc-san. The food is very good. That is not what is. Being my problem."

"Yeah? Wha'izzit then?" Smoke blew out from his nose.

"I am. Not feeling the well," she said wearily. Noodle had at this point stopped eating and her head hung low to the table.

The older man stared at her with his mismatched eyes. Despite the way her hair fell over her eyes, he could see the dark rings that had formed beneath them. Her rosy cheeks were actually a pasty grey, only appearing the pink color because of the heavy make-up she wore. Her mouth hung open slightly, her breath whistling in her throat instead of breathing through her nose like she normally did. Finally Murdoc sighed with closed eyes. "C'mere kiddo."

Noodle did as she was told. She stood from her chair and walked around the side of the table. The tips of her fingers ran over his dark denim jeans as she moved closer, and Murdoc had to grab her shoulders before they collided.

"Watch where you're goin' girlie. I'm right 'ere."

"Gomen nasai."

He picked up her hand and felt her wrist, not being sure he then reached up and touched the side of Noodle's face with the palm of his hand. "Blimey Noodle, you're burnin' up chavvy." The girl didn't respond, but her whistling breath turned into a loud wheeze. Murdoc took note of the heavy smoke his cigarette was emitting, so he dropped it into the half empty beer bottle. "Why didn'ya tell me you were sick?"

She answered his question, but her voice was nothing but a low mumble. "Thought it would go away." Noodle unconsciously leaned forward and her head fell against the man's shoulder.

"Ay ay ay! None of that!" He pushed her back up. "I don'wanna be getting any of your germs. Got it? My 'mune systems worf shit, y'ere?" He then pushed her away. "Now go take a shower and then go to bed." Noodle nodded and then shuffled out of the kitchen. When she was gone Murdoc picked up her dishes and dropped them in the trash. He looked down at his hand. "Blow it…" he grumbled when he realized he had touched the germ infested items. But being too lazy to do anything about it, he just wiped his hand on his pants.

When Noodle came out of the bathroom she met with Murdoc in the hall. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her in the black bathrobe that was far too large for her. It was like a black furry beast swallowing her whole. The image sort of reminded him of his raven, Cortez, swooping down and catching the white mice that sometimes made their way into his Winnebago.

"Isn't that Stu's?"

"Hai. 2D-kun allows me to be borrowing it."

"Right. Here, I fished these out'f the linen closet for ya." In Murdoc's open palm were two yellow Tylenol Cold tablets. Noodle just stood there and stared at the pills. "I would've gotten ya Sudafed, but Stu's bogarting them in 'is room somewhere." She still didn't take the medication from him. "C'mon article," he moved his hand closer, "take 'em."

"Water," she said.

"What? Oh… bugger…" Murdoc was used to taking pills dry, so he hadn't even thought to get her something to swallow the medication with. "Li'l bad news," he grumbled as he walked back to the kitchen, "Makin' me endure one ballache after another." He returned to the hall where Noodle was waiting for him. He handed her the glass of water and the pills. "There, happy?"

"Domo Arigato, Murdoc-san," she said with a smile. That innocent smile. Murdoc wondered if Noodle knew what kind of smile she had. She sure did like to share it, but not with just anybody. The media usually got her wild teenager, crazy rocker chick, gonna take the world by storm smile, and that seemed to suit the world just fine. It gave her spunk. That innocent smile though. Jamie and Damon were greeted with that smile whenever they came for a visit. Russel got that smile all the time; of course her big brown American teddy bear would get that smile. 2D would get that smile if he was sober enough off pills to hold a conversation with her, or if he would play his keyboard along her guitar, or even if would just sit with her. That innocent facial expression, it was something she reserved only for the people she loved the most.

_Wait… she likes me?_

"Yeah yeah, I'm a real brick. Now go to bed." With that, the man walked past the girl and made his way into the living room. Murdoc fell haphazardly against the couch and turned on the television. After scratching himself for a period of time, he reached over the arm rest and picked up a bottle of Captain Morgan which he had left there the day before. Not caring that the flavor was lukewarm and dull, he drank it down in various gulps. For the next half hour or so Murdoc just sat watching television, drinking, chuckling in grunts, and scratching the inside of his leg. Eventually his eyes fell closed and he started to drift off to sleep, but his slumber was once again abruptly broken as Noodle dropped down on the cushion next to his with a heavy bounce. "Oi! I thought I told you to go to bed," he growled.

"Cannot sleep," her voice replied. Noodle's face was hidden behind the white towel that was draped over her head.

"I knew I should've given you Sudafed," he grumbled.

"I am missing 2D-kun and Russel-kun. I wish that they were being here," Noodle said despondently.

An unfamiliar twitch ran up Murdoc's spine. Was it guilt? Maybe it was sympathy? Or perhaps it was something else? Murdoc wasn't sure, it had been awhile since he'd felt… whatever it was. Childhood maybe? Or was it his pre-teen adolescence? He remembered a cat, boys, and burlap bags. Noodle had been turning a lot of gears in his head this evening. Murdoc groaned. Against his better judgment and character, the man reached over and pulled Noodle into the open spot between his legs. "You really know how t'lay on the guilt don't ya kiddo?" He started to swiftly rub the towel against her head, soaking up all the water in her hair.

Murdoc remembered seeing 2D and Russel do such tasks for Noodle when she was younger, especially when she was ten and showed up on their doorstep. She didn't know much about how things were supposed to work, so the two men had to take care of her. She got older though, turning twelve, the thirteen, then fourteen. Most fourteen year olds could take care of themselves; Noodle of course wasn't any different. He supposed that being sick flushed all her independent mannerisms down the drain, come to think of it, the same thing happened to him when he got sick. You just feel crappy, and when you go to do something your brain just says, "The hell if I know." Murdoc also realized that this was the first time in their four years of knowing each other that he ever took care of Noodle.

"Murdoc! Murdoc look! It is me!" Noodle squealed in excitement.

Murdoc looked at the television. The music channel he had been watching was playing their DARE video. He was slightly amused as Noodle bounced with the video and sang along.

"You've got to press it on you… That's what you do baby… Hold it down Dare."

"Never did no harm. Never did no harm." Murdoc sang along, his voice raspy behind her. "It's coming up… It's coming up… It's coming up… It's Dare."

Noodle smiled when she heard Murdoc joining in on her song. "Oh! You've got to press it on you… Jump with them all and move it… Feel like you were there yourself and work it out." At the end of the verse Noodle broke out into a hysterical cough. Her hands came up over her mouth trying to conceal rasp of each breath.

Murdoc pushed himself up and started to pat her on the back. "Ay bird, slow down. You gotta breathe."

Noodle couldn't stop coughing. Each breath caused the muscles in her throat to hitch and tightened, causing her to cough even more. Suddenly she felt the towel pressed over her face. At first she panicked, but then she felt Murdoc's hand press on her chest as he tried to keep it compressed. Her breathing immediately slowed and the urge to cough was gone.

"There, better?" he asked in a sort of calming way.

Noodle's head spun and she fell back against Murdoc. His skin felt unusually greasy and hot, compared to Russel or 2D, but she decided not to care.

"Hey. Hey." He nudged her. "Hey. C'mon now."

Noodle didn't move. She'd made up her mind to slouch against him. Murdoc realized this and let out a deep sigh.

"You. Are not liking me," she said after a minute of silence.

That twitch in his spine. "Come again?"

"Are you liking any of us?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Eh, yeah. I'guess I come across as a Billy no mates, I kind'f strive for that image. Stu-pot, he and I are bezzy mates. Russel… he's a seppo, but an enjoyable bloke."

"And me?"

"I like ya Noodle girl." He patted her on the head. "Just 'ard t'get to know ya. You spoke nufin but that Japanese garble when ya first came 'ere. Now you're getting older, you don'want us old farts getting' into ya business."

Noodle hummed, showing she understood.

"Wha'bout me Noodle girl. Y'like me?"

"Hai, I am liking. My family." Her feet thumped together.

"Family eh? Stu's the broverly type, yeah. I ain't yer dad am I?"

Noodle shook her head. "Iie, iie. Russel is like being my father. You… you are like being my uncle. Uncle who is being in the background. Uncle who is always doing the drinking and the smoking, but is fun to be with because he is not liking to be in 'the norm.'"

Murdoc laughed. "Awight. That'a girl Noodle. Fun, old uncle Murdoc. I like the sound of that."

"Yoshi," she mumbled as she started to fall asleep.

"Ay, ay kiddo. If ya goin' to sleep, go do it in y'bed." It was too late however. Noodle had fallen into a heavy sleep, and there was no way of waking her. Murdoc shrugged. He picked up the bottle of Captain Morgan again and resumed watching television. "Good getting' to know ya Noodle girl. We'll hav'ta do it again some time." After a couple of hours the front door flew open and the two other band members came staggering into the room. Drunken, high, and excited, they conversed loudly with each other. "Oi!" Murdoc snapped. "Can't you see the chavvy's sleepin' over 'ere. Shut yer faces!"

2D and Russel started in what could only be identified as amazement in their drunken stupor. They made a couple wisecracks and then staggered off to their rooms.

"Bloody cunt-faced wankers…"


	2. Red

Two weeks had passed since the awkwardly sentimental evening had been shared between the two band members. Murdoc decided he didn't want to take the event to heart. After all, Noodle probably wouldn't have even come to him if Russel or 2D had been home that night in the first place. Sure, they had admitted to liking each other, but Murdoc didn't want the guys, or his fans, to think he had gone soft. What did he care? He didn't, that was the point, and so he acted as though the whole thing hadn't even happened.

Being the observant young woman she was, Noodle had picked up on all these feelings from Murdoc, and so she never brought it up either. There were times when she wanted to thank him, but she felt that he would only respond in a dejectedly cold manner. She had enjoyed the time they spend together that night. She liked "nice Murdoc." There were a few times just after their night together that she would try to just be near the older man. She would claim the seat next to him in the Geep, or sometimes she would try to sit next to him on the couch when they watched television in the evening, but he would get up and leave the moment she sat down, leaving her with a small frown.

Murdoc didn't mean to hurt the girl's feelings, but when 2D and Russel were in the room he just wasn't quite sure what to do. So he just reverted to his bitterly rooted instincts and brushed the child aside. Murdoc could not, however, turn Noodle away without getting that twitch in his spine which he had grown to despise so much. The only relief he found was to drink and sex it away.

On a standard cloudy day in Essex, Noodle was looking to tune her guitar and was hoping one of her band mates would play a sort session and help her out. She had a better ear for the drums than she did a keyboard so she sought out her giant teddy, Russel. Not finding him in the kitchen, bowling alley, or in front of the television, she ventured to his room. It was there she found the large man packing a large suitcase. "Russel-chan?" her high, yet soft spoken voice came from the doorway.

Russel turned to face her and smiled. "Hey there Noodle. Wha'sup?"

"Are you going somewhere?" she asked, coming to stand beside his bed where the suitcase lay.

"Yeah, it's ma' grandma's birthday in a couple a days. I'm gonna go visit her back in Boston." Russel picked up a pile of folded shirts and put them in next to a pile of jeans. "I'm leaving in the mornin'." He then started rummaging through his sock drawer.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"I suppose I'll be gone fo' a week, two at the most. Ma' grandma likes it when I visit her." He came back over and dropped a collection of socks into the suitcase. He then started picking boxers out of another drawer.

Noodle started arranging the socks in a neater fashion when her stomach was hit with a sudden, sharp pain. A tiny whimper escaped her as she put a hand over the pain spot.

Russel glanced back at the girl. He mistook the gesture and expression of pain on her face for sadness. He gave a small chuckle. "Aw, c'mon now sho'ty. I'll be back before you know it. You'll have lots of fun wi' D, I bet you won't even have time to miss me." Russel then lifted Noodle off the floor and rested her on his shoulders, much like he used to when she was younger.

Noodle wrapped her arms around Russel's forehead and rested her cheek on the top of his head.

The man smiled, his white eyes glancing upwards. "You just wanna hang out up there fo' awhile?"

She nodded.

Russel chuckled and went back to packing his suitcase.

Noodle woke up the next morning to find that her bed felt wet. She was embarrassed and frustrated at the thought of being a fourteen year old and still having night accidents. When she pulled the covers off she was horrified to see her pajamas and bed sheets stained dark red. The girl ran to her bathroom and turned the water on in the tub. Noodle stripped out of her night clothes and threw them in the tub, and then she got in and started washing everything. She was able to wash the blood off herself easy enough, but her pajamas were proving more difficult. Noodle knew that ordinary shower gel wasn't strong enough to get the stain out, but she didn't want to carry everything down to the laundry room and risk getting caught.

After putting on fresh clothes, Noodle contemplated what she wanted to do. She ended up throwing the pajamas away, but what to do with the bed sheets? She knew she couldn't just leave them like that. She could throw them away too, but there was only one other set of sheets in the linen closet, and that was it. Noodle wished that Russel was still home, he might be able to help. Finally, she decided she was just to have to brave the trip down to the laundry room.

Noodle poked her head out the door. She looked to the left, then to the right, and then to the left again. When she was sure there was no one around, Noodle set off down the hall carrying the large bundle of wadded sheets. Noodle decided to take the stairs, figuring it would be less likely to meet someone there than if she used the elevator. Three flights later she made it to the basement. The door creaked open slowly, and again her head peeked around to see if it was clear. She was almost scot-free. Noodle felt pretty confident as she stood on her stool at the washing machine. She applied the bleach stain remover and started putting the sheets in the water filled basin.

"Hey Noodle, wot are you doin?"

Noodle's heart leapt up into her throat. She spun around to see 2D standing in the doorway. _"Did he see? Oh God… what am I going to do?"_

2D couldn't see how wide the girl's eyes were beneath her violet bangs, but he could see the cherry pink color creeping up her neck and burning on her ears. "You okay?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Uuuuuh…yes… I am just…"

"I've got sum darks in me room that could use a good washin'," 2D said and gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

"Oh, so sorry 2D-kun. This load is full. Maybe I will be doing another load later, you can give clothes to me then. Yes?"

He shrugged. "Sure, okay. You sure you're feelin' right?"

Could she tell him? Stuart had never been fond of blood. Could she be sure his reaction would be a positive one? In the end, Noodle decided against it. "Hai, hai 2D-kun. I am good."

The blue haired man shrugged again and then walked away.

Noodle turned back to the washing machine. She sighed. "Everything is all right." She closed the lid to the machine. "No one has to be knowing. It was just an accident," she reassured herself, "It will not happen again."

Nature was not so kind, however. Noodle made it through her first day without any trouble; after all, first days are generally light. Needless to say, Noodle wasn't the least bit happy when she woke up the next morning. Again her night clothes and sheets were wet and red, and this time her stomach was hurting. Again she got dressed, but instead of throwing away another pair of pajamas she decided to wash them with the sheets. Again she snuck down to the laundry room, put the tarnished articles in the wash, and retrieved the first set of sheets from the dryer. Again 2D passed by the laundry room, this was inevitable since he had to pass by it when he left his room to go upstairs, but this time he didn't say anything to the girl.

After breakfast the pain in Noodle's stomach had subsided a bit. She sat at the kitchen table for a long time and stared at the phone on the wall. It wasn't like she would ask him to come home. She would just if he could tell her what to do. Maybe he could give her some reassurance, or maybe some advice. Yes, that was it. She would just ask for some quick advice. Noodle picked up the phone and dialed a familiar cell phone number.

"Yo," greeted the deep voice on the other end.

"Ah, moshi moshi, Russel-kun?"

"Oh! Hey Noodle! 'Sup little girl?"

Suddenly Noodle felt nervous. "I was… um, I w-wanted to a-ask you something."

"What is it?"

"I… I… there's..." Noodle felt as though she were going to cry.

"Noodle? You sound upset. What's wrong sho'ty?"

"It is nothing Russel-kun. I am sorry for having called you. Tell your grandmother that I wish her to have a happy birthday, sayonara." With that Noodle hung up the phone. She was too embarrassed to tell Russel, and if she was too afraid to tell him, then she probably wouldn't be able to tell anyone else. Noodle rubbed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She wished she knew what was happening. "I wish I had a mom," she said to herself.

"Noodle?" Once more, 2D had managed to catch Noodle in an awkward moment. She looked at him and immediately recognized the glazed expression on his face. Stuart was full up on pills, so maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. He looked at her for a second or two before speaking again. "Did ya sit in sumfing? There's a spot on th'back of your shorts."

Noodle gasped and ran to her room. There she stayed for the remainder of the day.

On the third day Noodle only came out of her room to do more laundry. When 2D passed the laundry room he still didn't say anything, but was definitely getting a feeling that something was up. Then the fourth day came.

"Murdoc-san? Murdoc-san, are you awake?"

"Hmm… erm... wha?" Murdoc opened one eye to see who was talking to him. At first all he could make out was a purple, yellow, and grey blur. Once he rubbed the sleep from his eyes he could see the Japanese girl standing a foot or two from his bed. "Noodle, m'tired. Wa'izzit?"

"It is already 10:30 in the morning, how can you be tired?" she asked.

"Noodle…" he grumbled.

She felt nervous again, like she did when she spoke to Russel on the phone. "I… I am having a p-problem. Russel-kun is in America, and 2D-kun… I do not think he would… a-and I thought m-maybe you… y-y-you…"

"C'mon kid, spit it out."

Noodle bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm sorry," she choked.

"Well there's something bugging you." The man's eyes glanced at the red cloth she clutched tightly in her fist. "Look, if you have a problem -"

"I am sorry I bothered you Murdoc." She turned, and scurried from the Winnebago and through the carpark.

Back in the laundry room Noodle was hastily dropping towels and clothes in the washing machine. She was so tired of doing this every morning. She wanted so bad to tell someone, but at the same time she didn't want anyone to know. She picked up a bed sheet and was about to put it in the water when she felt a tug from the other end.

"Stu-pot said you'd been doin' a lot of laundry lately."

Noodle stared at Murdoc and all the color drained from her face.

"What the hell is this?" Murdoc said and frowned at the big blood stain on the bedding. He dropped the sheet and started pulling things from the washer. He couldn't believe all the blood he saw. Mismatched eyes snapped in Noodle's direction. "Are all these things yours?"

She nodded timidly.

Murdoc's eyes widened. "What in the hell happened to you!" He knelt down in front of Noodle, and he started grabbing at her and turning her limbs every which way. "Are you sick? Are you hurt? Do have an injury somewhere or something?"

"No!" the girl shouted and pulled away from him. "Well, at least…" she rubbed her arm and her feet shuffled. "I do not think I am hurt. I am not really being sure," she said quietly.

"What d'ya mean 'you don't know?'" Murdoc still had a scowl on his face, but his voice started lightening up a bit. "Noodle girl, you need to tell me what's going on. I can't help if you don't tell me what the problem is."

"I have really bad stomach aches, and I… I keep b-bleeding from…"

Murdoc bobbed his head. "From where?"

Noodle pulled on the bottom of her shorts. "You know… down…"

Murdoc suddenly realized that the little red cloth she had been holding before was a pair of panties. The man sighed. "Jeez, Noodle, you're just having your period is all."

"My what?"

He pointed at her and shook his head. "Didn't anyone ever tell you about it?"

Noodle shook her head.

Murdoc pinched the bridge of his nose and growled. "Well isn't this fan-fuckin-tabulous."

"Are… are you mad at me Murdoc?" Noodle asked timidly.

"No, Noodle girl. M'not mad at you." He sighed again. "Look, your period, it's this thing that women get…" he grunted, not feeling at all qualified for this. "Once a month you…" he stopped. "First, you said you have a bad stomach ache?"

"Hai."

"Right, those are cramps. I can give you Advil and they'll go away. Okay, so now. Yer s'pposed to use these things… they keep the blood from gettin' everywhere. What have you been using?"

"Bathroom tissue," she replied.

"All right chavvy, here's the plan. You n' I are gonna go t'the store and get you some stuff, okay?"

At first Murdoc had written a short list of what Noodle needed to buy, gave her money, and then waited for her in the Geep. After awhile, however, Murdoc decided she had been in the convenience store too long. Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Murdoc went into the store and started looking for her. He found Noodle in the hygiene aisle almost to the point of tears. He gave her a pat on the head and picked out the things she needed.

Once they were home, Murdoc was met with an even larger predicament. How was he going to tell Noodle how to use the damn things? The man didn't really think to look for directions on the outside of the box, or if there were paper instructions on the inside. He assumed it was like a trick of the trade passed down between mothers and daughters. Murdoc _knew_ how it was done, he'd dated enough women in his life to learn a thing or two, but he sure as hell didn't want to be the one to tell the girl. Maybe he could call one of his many, lady friends, and get them to do it. Murdoc, didn't, however, like the idea of calling up some bird and say, "Sorry love, I'm not looking for a date. But I was wondering if could tell my little band mate here how to use a tampon. Would you mind?"

Yeah, that would roll over **_real_** smoothly.

There _was_ one other person he could call. He wasn't fond of the idea. She wasn't an easy person to talk to, but in the end, what other choice did he have? Murdoc sat Noodle on the couch in his Winnebago and picked up his phone. As it rang he walked to the back of the Winnebago so the girl wouldn't be able to hear him as well.

"Hello, mum? It's me. / No, mum, Hannibal is my older brother. I'm Murdoc. / Murdoc. No… no mum, Murdoc! MUR-DOC!" The widow Nicalls was getting on in years, and she was never quite right after the death of her husband. Her two sons loved her, and they did their best to keep in touch, but it just got more and more difficult with each passing year. "Yeah, mum, I'm doing fine. / Yeah, I have a job. I'm in a band, mum. I play the bass guitar. / Yes, I did mum. I've told y'this almost a hundred times. I sent you copies of our albums in the mail, didn't you get them? You didn't lose 'em did you mum?"

Noodle knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but Murdoc was speaking so loudly that it was almost impossible not to over hear. She felt a little sorry for Murdoc. His father, the one person he looked up to the most, was dead. Even though he still had his mom, she seemed to only frustrate him. She started to understand why Murdoc didn't talk about his mom that often, if at all. Noodle was also jealous of the man. At least he had a mom to speak of, even if she was senile. Murdoc had someone to call up and wish a Happy Mother's Day. Murdoc had someone who sent him birthday cards in the mail, someone who was proud of him. Murdoc had someone who told him she loved him at the end of the day. She didn't have anybody like that.

"Listen, mum, I need to ask you something. / Mum, are you listening/// No, mum, I've been clean for five years. Can we not talk about that right now? I need yer help. / No, I don't need money! Will you just listen to me for a minute? I've got a girl here and - / No, mum, I didn't get her pregnant! She's bloody fourteen years old! Christ… / I know - / I know, mum, I'm sorry. No, she's one of my band mates. / Yes, mum, I'm in a band! We just had this discussion two minutes ago! Look she started her period. / Her period, mum. / HER PERIOD!"

Noodles face turned bright red.

"Mum… mum, listen to me, please." Murdoc started to chuckle in frustration. "Mum, that's not my name. / No, that's my olde - / No, mum, Murdoc. My name is Murdoc. / Yes, mum." The man's voice grew quiet and tired. "Look, mum, I gotta go now. / It was nice talking t'you too. / Yes, I'll be coming home for Christmas. / I love you too, mum, bye." Murdoc pressed the off button and dropped the phone on the nightstand. He sat on the bed and rested his head in his hands. Murdoc almost felt sad.

Noodle walked up to him, her tiny feet shuffling silently. She wrapped her arms around the man and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Murdoc. Thank you for helping me." The girl smiled. "It was special to me."

Murdoc wasn't quite sure what to do at first. Then he smiled slightly and hugged her back. "No problem, Noodle girl."


End file.
